If you want to test your Antivirus Scanner, you can use the test string from the European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research ⇒”EICAR”. Put this string into a file. Send it, download it, compress it, do what ever you want. Scan the file, see if your Antivirus scanner finds it.
This is the string:
X5O!P%@AP[4PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*
Even if your scanner finds this pattern, keep your scanner updated. It is like in real life. The dangerous ones are the unknown ones.
The links in the table blow contain the test string. The files are compressed with different methods.
A quick side note: New, modern next generation antivirus scanners won’t necessary find this pattern. These scanners work behaviour based and not on patterns anymore.
Antivirus test pattern. Contains the Eicar test string in a file compressed with p7zip.
Antivirus test pattern. Contains the Eicar test string in a file compressed with zip.
Antivirus test pattern. Contains the Eicar test string in a file compressed with UNIX compress.
Antivirus test pattern. Contains the Eicar test string in a file compressed with tar gzip.
Antivirus test pattern. Contains the Eicar test string in a file compressed with gz.
Antivirus test pattern. Contains the Eicar test string in a self extracting zip file.
Antivirus test pattern. Contains the Eicar test string in a plaintext file.
Antivirus test pattern. Contains the Eicar test string in an uncompressed com file.
Antivirus test pattern. Contains the Eicar test string in a file compressed with bz2.
Antivirus test pattern. Contains the Eicar test string in a file compressed with arc.
Antivirus test pattern. Contains the Eicar test string in a file compressed with zoo.